Join the Ruff Side
by Tiigerliily
Summary: Ever wondered what Ruffians are, how people decide they want to become a Ruffian and what their actual views on the world are? Hafez OC finds all of this out when a Ruffian bribes him to adopt his... somewhat questionable lifestyle. Will he accept this thrilling offer or will he choose the certainty and warmth of the life with his family?
1. Chapter 1

**Join The Ruff Side**

**Chapter 1: ''Who... What are you?''**

****''Ponocky!''

''You wanna make a ride on the Ponocky, Mehran?'' Hafez bent down to pick up his little brother from the ground, as his lips formed mollified smile. He enjoyed spending time with his family. Being the oldest son of the Qalzai household, he took a lot of pride in making his younger siblings and parents happy.

''Be gentle to the Ponocky, okay?'' he told the small boy as he carefully seated him on the back of the unnamed pony piñata. ''Don't pull out its confetti...''

''No!'' Mehran shook his head. ''Won't!''

Hafez chuckled. The two-year old's behaviour had improved considerably now that he received more attention of his older brother.

Usually, Hafez studied medicine at the clinic of the local vet during the daytime, but Doc Bandago was in the US for business, so despite his homework, the novice had a few weeks off. Of course his parents obligated to work in the garden and although he didn't have a thing for plants at all, keeping Mehran busy proved a way to fill his days worthily.

''I'm so glad you're taking such good care of Mehran.'' Hafez' mother was watering a bluebell a few meters away from her oldest and youngest son, at whom she glanced approvingly. ''You're turning into a real man, Hafez. I'm proud of you.''

''Ah, well...'' Hafez grinned Goobaishly as he supported Mehran with both of his hands. ''I guess it's about time... I'm eighteen now, after all...''

''True, true. I suppose it is time for your father and I to search you a wife, too...'' Mother Qalzai sniggered teasingly. ''Or have you already met your special girl, Hafez? Come on, you can tell me.''

''I, ehm...'' Hafez bit his lower lip. Actually, he thought he had. He'd secretly been dating Leafos, the daughter of the legendary Jardineiro for half a year now and he'd been wanting to take their relationship a step further ever since he'd seen her unmasked face, which apparently was a sign of great intimacy on Piñata Island.

Her father would get a stroke if his daughter came home with a mainlander - especially one of low birth - though. And their relationship would head nowhere near marriage without _his _permission, so Hafez and Leafos knew they could only _dream _of their wedding day...

''... I...'' he murmured, still trying to think up an answer to his mother's question without having to lie to her ''I... I don't think that there live any pretty girls in this village, to be honest. Not a place where I think I'll find my soulmate...''

Phew, he'd said that perfectly truthfully. All girls in Molino were either overweight, unbelievably manly, stuck-up, or from a completely different age than he was.  
Leafos didn't live in Molino, but near a town called The Village, which was about twenty kilometers to the south.

''You want to marry a mainland girl, don't you?'' his mother asked as she walked over to a blackberry bush that required watering as well.

''That's not it, specifically,'' Hafez answered. ''I... I wanna focus on my study first. I'm a man. I can settle down at whatever age I want to - I might not get married until I'm fifty-two, I'm not that interested in women yet...''

Okay, those actually _were _lies.

His mother cocked a brow. ''You sure you're being genuine?''

''Sure as can be,'' Hafez answered with a straight face. He knew he wasn't the best liar. Some really dumb people would believe him when he told them unverities, but his ever alert mom spotted the smallest changes in his facial expressions and the tiniest tremblings in his voice...

Suddenly, a loud WHACK was being heard at the back of the garden. Mehran started crying. Hafez took him up from the now panickedly neighing Ponocky and held him closely against his chest. ''It's okay,'' he whispered. ''It's okay.''

To his satisfaction, Hafez felt his little brother calming down.

''What was that?'' their mother shouted, causing Mehran to burst out in tears again.

''I don't know. Shall I take a look?'' Hafez answered reluctantly.

''Yes, please my son!''

Hafez handed Mehran over to his mom and grabbed a shovel that was standing against a hazelnut tree. ''I hope it's not that Dastardos guy again...''

The idea of meeting Dastardos without Doc Bandago by his side horrified Hafez. He wouldn't ever admit it to anyone, but the piñata reaper scared the crap out of him. He found floating, emaciated corpses a tad bit unnatural to say the least, and the humming sounds the ghost emitted made him cringe.

To top all that off, Dastardos could only be defeated with the thrust of a special shovel. Now the Qalzai family wasn't poor, but they were far from filthy rich - which you had to be to afford such a special shovel.

The being Hafez found gnawing of the wooden fence that demarcated the medium sized garden was, much to his relief, not Dastardos though. It was something even weirder.

The thing was pretty squat and muscular and probably male. It wore the strangest mask - a big, red pineaple-ressembling helmet that didn't only cover the creature's face, but also its torso. Underneath it, the creature seemed to wear something that looked like a short...

Hafez stomach turned.

''Who... what are you?'' he uncertainly asked as he slowly took a few steps back, ready to draw his shovel if the 'thing' came any closer.

The red masked stature stopped molesting the fence and turned its mask towards Hafez, who shivered when he saw that the thing he'd just found in his family's garden probably wasn't human at all.

The undefined thing had extraneous glowing eyes, pumped, muscular arms with black spiral shapes tatooed on them and an enormous mouth filled with big, sharp teeth.

Hafez lightly raised his shovel. He didn't want to get bitten by _those_... What if this thing was a zombie, that'd infect him with its malicious zombie-virus by letting its tusks sink into his soft, rather flawless human skin?

Suddenly, the thing's frightening, patterned lips curled up to form a not exactly scary smile. ''A Ruffian!''

''Ehm, what?'' Hafez asked while rubbing his neck, stunned by the fact the creature was able to speak. ''Didn't quite catch that...''

''A Ruffian!'' it repeated. ''I'm a Ruffian. Haven't you heard about us?''

Hafez slowly shook his head. ''No... I'm afraid not...'' he said as he barely could hide the disgust in his voice.

''Have you never seen a completely destroyed garden? Like, _never_?''

This made Hafez think a little. He thought he could recall a client of his father, who had a company specialized in constructing fountains and waterworks, yammering about his brand new storage barn being wrecked by hooligans or something. It was all pretty blurry though; the possessions of his distant acquaintances were far from Hafez' first concern.

''Not really. But I think I've heard a guy mention a gruff group of vandals busting his property once, so, ehm, let me guess... You're one of those vandals?'' Hafez clacked his tongue disapprovingly.

That 'Ruffian', as the thing liked to call himself, sure wasn't welcome in _this _garden.

''That might have been my work!'' The Ruffian giggled childishly. ''Ruffians _live _to fuck up stuff... Including our own lives, but who cares? We don't. _We _have fun.''

Hafez raised his brows. ''Are you saying _I _don't have fun or -''

''No, of course I'm not implying that...''

A pearl of sweat dripped down Hafez' Venetian mask. This Ruffian-thing had quite a wide vocubalary... The being facing him had to by _way _more intelligent than it had seemed at first glance, which - for some unclear reason - troubled him.

''I just think you could do better,'' the Ruffian continued while grinning broadly. ''I mean, look at how you're spending your afternoon. Riding your baby brother around on a Ponocky while your mommy's watering plants...''

''What's wrong with that?''

''Nothing, nothing... Oh. You haven't told me your name yet.'' The Ruffian's eyes narrowed. ''Would you mind..?''

''Hafez. Now what's wrong with -''

''You've lived in this village for two years now, Hafez, yet you haven't acclimatized to the way of life they practice in this region so far...''

Hafez' caramel-colored cheeks turned red, which was clearly visible to the Ruffian since his mask only covered up around the eye area, unlike the full-face masks most of the native Islanders wore.

''I can't blame you, though. I grew up in Molino too, and I must say that this is the most backwater, rotten village of the entire Island! Why do you think I became a Ruffian?''

Hafez shrugged. '''Cause you weren't any good at anything else, perhaps?''

''Wrong,'' the Ruffian chuckled. ''Because the Ruffian lifestyle appealed more to me.  
When all good kids, like you Hafez, were helping their parents in the garden; training piñatas, sowing seeds or picking fruits, my friends and I infested both the streets and the countryside...''

''That's very not productive,'' Hafez snorted. He might've had fallen for the strange guy's idle talk around the time he was fifteen, but he was becoming a grown man now... Or at least that was what he was trying to become.

He knew nothing in this world came for free, though, and if he ever wanted to maintain a family like he dreamed he would someday, he couldn't waste his time doing bs that ruined other people's life's and wouldn't even make him any money.

''We don't _completely _waste our lives away, Hafez,'' the Ruffian murmured, as if it had read the thoughts of the annoyed boy standing in front of him. ''Our raids and proaching trips mostly yield us quite some CCs... Not to mention the ridiculously high sums people are willing to pay us not to plunder their gardens - it's hilarious!''

''No - it's stealing,'' Hafez said stiffly. ''I'm going back to my family now and you get yo ass out of my garden before I punch the Hell out of you. Understand?''

''Nice attitude,'' the Ruffian grinned. ''We could use a man like you on the team... I'm sure the Professor'd like you... Anyhow, you're right, I'm out of here. But I'll be back tomorrow... Same time, same fence.'' A provocative spark glistened in the Ruffian's yellow, unnatural-looking eyes. ''You know... In case you make up your mind.''

After having said those words, the creature ran off into the meadows, leaving a cloud of dust and a confused Hafez behind.

VPVPVPVPVPVPVP

Hafez couldn't sleep that night. At two in the morning he was still awake, tossing and turning in his bed while throwing the heavy blankets off him, to pick them up from the floor again when the darkness began to make him feel exposed. It was warm, muggy and windless in the midlands of Piñata Island, where Molino was situated.

The stuffy weather situations weren't the reason for Hafez' insomnia, though. The words the strange guy that apparently called himself a 'Ruffian' had spoken to him that afternoon were.

_Have I really become that boring? _Hafez thought cheerlessly. _I'd swear I used not to be... _

With a light feeling of guilt, he questioned if the entire becoming a man thing was for him at all. He would never want to dissappoint his parents, his younger brothers, Doc Bandago or even his older sister, but wouldn't it be better for him to quit studying medicines and...

_And what? Become a predatory felon like that no-good I met yesterday?_

Hafez heaved a deep sigh. No. Never. Those times were behind him...

A crooked smile appeared on the young man's handsome, unmasked face. He could recall the mischieves of his early puberty very well...

The smile grew wider as Hafez turned on his back. Not only would his friends and he shout vulgar things at random men on the street and hit on girls that were _way _too pretty and old for them, they'd also swindle people by selling them fake Burberry perfume and non-working phone cards.

''Phony cards,'' Hafez grinned out loud. ''That's what we used to call them...''

He yawned. Suddenly, he had his sleep back... Which wasn't completely out of the blue, he knew that.

He would be able to sleep now because he had made up his mind.

Tomorrow, at the end of noon, he'd go back to the damaged fence at the back of the garden. He wouldn't immediately accept his offer, but he'd definately talk to the Ruffian again.

That man might've been wearing the weirdest mask ever and practicing a somewhat shady lifestyle, but something about him reminded Hafez of how his life had been back home. Besides, the family could do with a little more money... It'd be great if Mehran would be able to attend a real school, unlike most children on Piñata Island, and he knew he'd need a large dowry to satisfy Jardineiro enough to let him marry his daughter...

''Fuck medicines,'' Hafez whispered as he closed his lawngreen eyes and curled up under the sheets. ''I'ma make money the fun way.''


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: ''I knew you would come back.''**

''Ah, Hafez, my best. There you are again.'' The Ruffian grinned widely, his ridiculously big fangs glinting in the titian afternoon sun.

''Ruffian,'' Hafez nodded stiffly. Despite the thoughts that had stormed through his confused brain that night, he hadn't definitively made up his mind yet.

No way he'd shove his parents' dreams aside just like that. Before he'd join the rough side, his crimp would first have to answer a few of the critical questions he'd been yearning to ask decently.

''I knew you would come back.''

''Oh no, you didn't.'' Hafez stubbornly crossed his arms. He didn't want the Ruffian to be aware of the strong persuasiveness it possessed. ''I never showed a sign of fondness of you or your trashy lifestyle, so -''

The Ruffian huffed. ''Do you really want to spend the rest of this afternoon disputing wether I knew I would see you again today or not? No, you don't! You might not accept my offer straight away, but you're definately interested.''

Hafez' eyebrows knitted together into an agitated frown. This man was seeing right through him, if it was a man at all.

He'd never seen a mortal man with yellow, glowing eyes and big ass pointy teeth like that.

''I just...''

''You were just curious? Of course you are!'' The Ruffian chuckled dryly. ''I wouldn't want your sweet mom and baby bro to see you talking to me... That mother of yours would probably whip my ass, wouldn't she?'' Hafez nodded, slightly marveled. He hadn't expected that dense-looking creature to have such accurate observing skills.  
''Let's go for a walk,'' the Ruffian grinned. ''Iv'e always enjoyed strolling the pasture.''

_I have to be on guard dealing with this guy, _the young man realized as he watchfully followed the strange figure he'd just met yesterday, desperately hoping he wouldn't have to use the kitchen knife he'd hidden in his vest that morning...

VPVPVPVPVPVPVPVP

''It just dawned on me that I don't know your real name,'' Hafez mumbled as he glanced over his shoulder. The Ruffian and he had been walking for at least ten minutes now and the small farm he called home had disappeared completely out of sight.

The two hadn't said a word to each other since their depart from the Qalzai garden. Hafez almost felt as if his mysterious guide wanted _him _to break the silence, but he couldn't put his finger on why.

''I haven't gone by my real name in a long, _long_ time,'' the Ruffian answered after having taken a very deep breath. ''It's useless. Nobody will remember it, so why'd you wanna know?'' The Ruffian turned around to smirk at Hafez. ''Curiosity killed the cat, don't forget about that when trying to interrogate sinister types like me...''

''You told me you grew up in Molino,'' Hafez objected, ignoring the Ruffian's half-threat. A boy born and raised in the Middle East wasn't that easily impressed by words of menace. ''Your parents would remember you. No doubt about that. Your word choice practically gives away that you're from a well-off family... or at least not the type of household that deals with vanishing family members as if they're piñatas of low value. I'm sure they searched you.''

The Ruffian made a pensive face. ''You know what? You're smarter than you look, and you don't even look _that _stupid... You're very close to the truth. I think we could be friends, Haf... As a sign of trust, I'll give you my real name, which is Ricardo Marin. Don't tell anyone though. Let either your loyalty or your common sense speak...''

The person that had once been called Ricardo Marin showed his razor-sharp teeth. ''I could make life for you and the fellow Qalzai's very difficult...''

Hafez shrugged. ''I won't tell anyone,'' he promised, ''not out of fear or loyalty, but because there's not much in for me if I _do _reveal your true identity...''

''Eye for business,'' the Ruffian chuckled. ''Nice.''

The Ruffian turned around and winked at the boy who had potential to become his future co-troublemaker, and then he focused on the plain land ahead of him again.

Hafez bit his lower lip. He had to admit that becoming a Ruffian wouldn't be that bad of an idea, but he would never want to have the malformations the man ahead of him had incurred somewhere...

''Ricar... Ruffian?'' he asked uncertainly. He wasn't sure if asking the next question was a good idea or not, since a part of him probably wouldn't want to know the answer.

''Yes?'' The Ruffian turned around again.

''Are you... Did you... What...'' Hafez fell silent. He didn't know how to put this...

''Whatever it is - just ask me. I either answer you or not...'' The Ruffian shrugged indifferently, without diverting his glance to Hafez for even a moment.

''Okay then. Ehm... Look. You've got glowing eyes and enormous tusks...'' Which wasn't natural. Something horrible must've happened to that man, he looked like a living dead thing now...

Taking into account ghosts - such as Dastardos -, demons - such as the demon Tsi, whom, as mentioned in the _Islander's Daily _had tried to take possession of Dastardos a while ago - and even weirder things - such as the breathing piñatas themselves - _did _exist on the Island there was no reason not to think this man hadn't ended up in a nauseous, corrupting mayhem.

''Just a mask,'' the Ruffian laconically answered. ''You know how Watchlings look all batty and out of this world? It's the same thing.''

''No way...''

''No way? Hmph, I don't think you've ever met any of the Island's more talented maskmakers then... Aw well, that cheap thing you're wearing pretty much gives that away. Bought it at a local thrift store?''

''I...'' Hafez fell silent. Actually, he had.

Two years ago, when he and his family had _just _arrived on the Island, they had nothing. They had no money at all, nor did they have family, friends or even acquaintances on the Island to make them masks that suited their personalities, which was a tradition among the Islanders.

Fortunately for the Qalzais though, an old lady who wanted to furl her costume store gave her last five masks away for free. At the time, Mehran wasn't born yet, so five were enough to provide the whole family with face coverage for free...

Hafez, his father, mother, sister and Hafez' second youngest brother all were Venetian masks in different shades of black and grey. Mehran still wore eyebands nowadays, but Hafez' dad was planning to get the little boy a real mask as soon as he'd saved up enough. 'Mehran will me a born and raised Islander,' he claimed, 'so he should at least look like one...'

''Maybe I did,'' Hafez growled, ''however... why do you wear such a hideous, terrifying thing, Ruffian? I don't know what your face looks like, but I'm pretty positive that it can't be as bad as -''

''Don't be so offensive, Qalzai,'' the Ruffian hissed angrily. ''Like I said before, things can become very uncomfortable for you and your family if you say things you shouldn't...''

Hafez fell silent. He wouldn't mind fighting the Ruffian, but he didn't want his family to become a victim of own impolicy.

''To give you an answer to your question though, I wear this mask for the Professor. It's a form of propaganda... You see, the Professor's still aspiring to rule the Island. I know, it's stupid and ain't never gonna happen, but he thinks paying local troublemakers to wear masks that ressemble his is going to help. His theory's that people will red shit with black patterns associate with fear now, and to a certain extend, they do...''

''Hmm...'' Hafez' forehead wrinkled.

''What?''

''I just realized,'' the boy spoke, the muscles in his face relaxing again, ''that that 'Professor' guy likes to use the same patterns and colors as sour piñatas... Coincidence?''

''Not at all. Who do you think's created them sours?''

Hafez' jaw dropped. ''How..?''

''I don't know 'how'. I _do _know that a _man _was killed in the process, though... I'm not religious, but sometimes I feel like the Professor's sold his soul to the Dark Gods...'' The Ruffian shuddered audibly. Hafez' eyes slightly widened. This was the first time that 'Ricardo' showed fear in his presence. ''He might appear sketchy from time to time, but Professor Pester is the most malignant man I've ever met, and trust me, I know quite a few evil creeps.''

After a few more minutes of just walking the plain, grassy landscape and listening to the rolling wind, another question popped up into Hafez' mind.

''Who's the 'Professor'?'' he asked suspiciously. Not too long ago, he'd heard a local peasant complain about a guy named 'Pester', a tyrant that always wore a graduation cap and seemed to smash every valuable piñata he laid eyes on.

''Dude... Have you lived under a rock since your arrival here?'' The Ruffian incredulously shook his enourmous head, which looked obviously artificial and not like an error of nature at all, now that Hafez took a closer look to it. ''Pester of course!''

''I've heard of him,'' Hafez hastened to say. ''I did. I just never thought that he'd be smart enough to -''

''He isn't, that's why I sometimes fear he's sold his soul to the Dark Gods, you feel me?''

Hafez couldn't think of anything else to do but nod.

''He's done worse than bringing his vicious, _sour_ paper animals to life, you know,'' the Ruffian continued at a conspiratorial tone of voice. ''I'm sure that you, as a vet's assistant have met Dastardos one or more times?''

''I have,'' Hafez affirmed, relieved that the conversation had switched to a subject he actually _knew _shit about, even when it was a floating emeciated corpse that would occasionally hunt him in his nightmares. ''The piñata reaper.''

''Yeah, him. Biggest jerk I ever met. He's got a reason to be a big buffoon like that, though.  
He hasn't always been the thing he is nowadays. The Professor turned him into an undead, restless skeleton. A phantom, a shadow of his former-self. Without the Professor's interference, he'd be a young, succesful gardener today...''

''What are you trying to stress?'' Hafez asked, slightly astonished by what was told him. ''Where did the Professor gain such powers anyway? I don't believe in the Old Gods, neither in the 'New' ones. There's only one God, the God the Muslims, Christians and Jews honor - be it all in a slightly different way...  
Therefore, I do not think Pester can have sold his soul to anyone. Maybe to Satan, but I seriously doubt that too...''

''Look, even though I was just using metaphores when I described the Professor and am not religious, ignorant mainland boy,'' the Ruffian sniffed ''there _are _some forces active on this Island no one can fathom... However, Dastardos probably is something way less spectecular.

''Then what is he?'' Hafez growled.

''A gifted, but ordinary man, who's corrupted _deliberately _by Professor Pester_,_'' the Ruffian said bitterly. ''Thanks to my profession, I've spoken to Dastardos several times. I wouldn't say we're friends - it's been a year since the last time I saw him - but we've had some interesting conversations back in the day...''

''You _talked _to the infamous piñata reaper?'' Hafez wondered why he was still talking to this shifty person. The urge to stab the other man and run off had been there for the entire afternoon and grew with every word the Ruffian spoke, but was repressed by his thirst for more information on those shadow figures.

''Yeah, was no big deal. As I told you before; Ruffians work for the Professor, and so does Dastardos. Us living in Pester's evil lair is a myth; I have a shack somewhere on this meadow, and the reaper lives in a twisted tree in the Dessert Desert, just like most of my fellow Ruffians.  
All the Professor's employees - he fancies to call us his minions, but personally I don't exactly approve of that - live in unspoilt places. Some guys I know live in abandoned buildings. The Old Mill further to the south is a perfect example of such hovels - an entire clan of Ruffians is nesting in there - but none of us simply rents a house in a village or something...''

''Most people see y'as vermin,'' Hafez nodded understanding. ''Not that they've a reason not to...''

''Can't argue with that,'' the Ruffian keckled. ''Fully understand why they wouldn't rent us no dwelling... About my encounters with the man with the whacking stick, though... Even when none of the Professor's assistants actually lives in his stupid volcano -''

''Volcano?'' Hafez couldn't help but interrupt the older man again.

''You did catch that right. The Professor lives in a volcano in which he's made people carve his entire, bloated mask... I'd almost feel bad for the rock.''

''I feel bad for the people who were hired to do that job,'' Hafez shivered. ''Were you among them?''

''Actually, yes, in a way,'' the Ruffian laughed. ''I was hired, but I didn't get my hands dirty much. Not all Ruffians are as smart and independant as I am, you know. _I _only serve the Professor because it holds certain benefits for me; everyone's scared of a Ruffian, and our salary's quite considerable, so I'm never strapped for cash...''

''Why would anyone serve that bastard out of anything but self-interest, then?'' Hafez asked wonderingly.

''There are lads out there who admire Pester.'' The Ruffian chuckled scornfully. ''He truly _does _have minions, strange enough. Those are real sad creatures, usually dumber than dumb and stupider than stupid.  
Some cases are even more tragic, though. Whenever poor parents give birth to either retarded or disabled children...''

Hafez' stomach turned. ''Then they sell them to the Professor?'' he asked, slightly nauseous. ''Just like that..?''

''Just like that. Sometimes for less than a hundred choco coins.''

''But that's _horrid_!'' the Hafez spat.

''That's life.'' The older guy shrugged. ''Still wanna hear what Dastardos told me?''

''Yes,'' Hafez sighed. ''Of course...''

''He told me...'' the Ruffian mumbled, as a vacant look appeared in his yellow, glowing eyes ''...to never eat sour candy...''

''Wait - that's it?'' Hafez' face clouded. ''I'm pretty sure most people could think of that theirselves, given it makes piñatas ill...''

''It has far worse effects on humans, Qalzai,'' the Ruffian said huskily, as if he was trying to restrain a sob. ''We're not made of paper.''

Finally, it dawned on Hafez what the Ruffian was trying to make clear. ''Are you saying that Dastardos was fed sour candy...''

''By Professor Pester, yes. Nobody knows this,'' the Ruffian whispered compellingly, as he suddenly came to a standstill. ''So don't tell anyone... You know I know where to find you if you break my trust, right?''

''Y-yes...'' Hafez stuttered as he tried not to gulp. ''I won't tell anyone... I promise.''

''Good.'' The Ruffian walked through again. Hafez had a hard time to keep up with the terser man, despite his legs being short, his legs were rather fast.

''But... may I ask you... why?'' Hafez stammered as he walked at the same pace as his companion again. ''Why... would anyone do such a thing to... even if I hated someone deeply I wouldn't...''

''The Professor is the most ungodly man on the entire Island, 'Fez. He's more vain and narcissistic than any other guy alive. The reason he made Dastardos what he is nowadays's revenge. Pester, who's name's officially Lester, used to be a Helper in a beautiful garden I forgot the name of...''

That was a lie. The Ruffian perfectly remembered the simple, but legendary name of Lester's former working place. _Jardineiro's Garden_.

But he was also fully aware of the relationship Hafez had with Jardineiro's oldest daughter. He'd been shadowing that mainland boy for some time now - otherwise he never would've told him so much about his lifestyle, the other Ruffians, Pester and Dastardos - and he was truly intrigued.

Dating Leafos without Jardineiro's permission was pretty much playing with fire.

Ricardo coughed. ''He wasn't much of a skilled gardener, though. Everything _died _in his hands... and it still does, and I'm not just talking plants and baby piñatas.  
Lester's chief wasn't exactly thrilled by his Helper's performance. He had a son, just a toddler but blessed with his father's botanic talents and to safe some money after having bought a new Chippopotamus home, the garden owner decided to replace Lester for the baby boy...''

Hafez sniggered. He could only imagine how mad an irascible man like the Professor would be if a kid Mehran's age would take over his job.

''Needless to say, Lester was furious,'' the Ruffian continued. ''He plotted the downfall of both the little one and his father ever since, to finally put his plans to action in like... twelve, thirteen years after his dismissal? The rest you know already - he lured the bright teenage boy Dastardos once used to be to the rainforest, forced him to eat sour candy and probably did some ever more wicked things to him, and well... The Island's second reaper was born. Fortunatelly this one specializes in piñatas though... From what I've heard, the times under Cueraça were awful...''

''Who's Cueraça?'' Hafez asked, cocking a brow.

''An Old God - an important figure in the Island's Old Religion... You told me you only believe in the 'True' God of the Muslims, Christians, Jews and whatnot though, so I won't bother telling you more about him.  
It'll scare the fuck outta you anyway.''


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: ''You've chosen a very wicked profession, if I may state that.''**

''So. This is it. This is how I live. Sober and simple as the man I actually am.''

Hafez glanced around the Ruffian's shack. It was a small, wooden hut that consisted of only one room, so the lack of furniture was barely even noticable.

''Nice place,'' Hafez said as the Ruffian sauntered over to the stove facing an old, moth-eaten single bed. ''Very basic, no hodgepodge... I like it.''

''Thanks,'' the Ruffian chuckled. ''D'you want any tea?''

''Yes please.'' Hafez sat down on the Ruffian's rickety bed, because the hooligan apparently didn't possess a single chair.

''Good... I hardly ever drink that stuff,'' the Ruffian pointed heedlessly at a sixpack of water bottles in the right corner of the room, ''but I know how much mainlanders appreciate they water all piping hot and flavoured...''

Hafez grimaced. ''It sounds ridiculous when you put it like that, but it's definately true...''

''I can make everything sound ridiculous.'' The Ruffian chuckled silently. ''It's my hobby. Making fun of things and people that aren't really supposed to be made fun of, I mean. A lot of the Professor's more... _sagacious _helpers do this to get themselves through the day. Being the servant of a big jerk like him's not always an easy task, er _need _our little games...''

The Ruffian plumped down next to Hafez, making the bed squeak dangerously. ''Looks like I gotta replace this thing soon,'' its owner groused as he handed the steaming hot cup to Hafez. ''As you can see, I'm not much of a shopaholic, though. I'm saving up to start a new life in the US of A. I've got secret stashes of choco coins all around the Island, believe it or not... Hope them dumb Diggerlings won't dig them up, I been working hard for my money...''

Hafez grinned widely. He hadn't heard anything about the Ruffian's hidden CCs, the mentioning of shopping for a bed had provoked a thought in him he hadn't expected to come up now that he'd been dating Leafos for so long.

''Do you Ruffians... you know... get many girls to...''

''Strip their clothes off and sleep with us? Sorry to disappoint you 'Fez, but most of them'd rather slit they fucking wrists open and I can't blame them. We don't exactly look like Don Juans in these costumes...'' The Ruffian smirked.

''That's a shame...'' The corners of Hafez' mouth curled down in a dazed upside-down smile. ''Talking to you's really made me consider becoming a Ruffian... I like the rough and carefree lifestyle and the money that comes with serving the Professor, but the downsides are pretty off-putting too...''

The Ruffian gave him an understanding not. ''Now you're not just talking bitches, are you?''

''Nope.'' Hafez shook his head. ''I wouldn't like to set off to a shanty in the wilderness and leave my family behind... They love me - I don't know how your parents felt about you, but if they cared even half as much as my parents do and you just gave them the cold shoulder like that, then shame on you.''

Hafez fell silent for a minute to take a sip of his now cooled tea.

''Not to mention,'' he continued, almost choking in a mint leaf the Ruffian had put in it to give it 'a more fresher' taste, ''I could never work for a man that's done all those horrible things to people... I'm sorry, but serving some guy who buys disabled children for a song just contradicts with my morals.''

''At least you have those,'' the Ruffian snorted. ''I know plenty of youngsters who don't... I'm afraid I was one of them.''

Hafez heaved a sigh. ''You have chosen a very wicked profession, if I may state that.''

''Oh, yes you may. I know what I'm doing, thus I know what I'm doing wrong as well... If you don't feel like this is your destination, I have peace with it... I can tell you're a noble, reliable man, Hafez Qalzai.''

''I've been hearing that a lot lately,'' the younger guy said in a thoughtful voice. ''Giving up the maturity I've gained over the past few years probably would be a bad idea...''

''No doubt,'' the Ruffian sniggered. ''I like you a lot, 'Fez, and we're pretty alike... but you're not one of us.''

''I like you a lot too, Ricardo,'' Hafez laughed. ''No homo... I hope that our paths may cross again someday. We could be friends, aight?''

''Sorta.'' The Ruffian took a concernedly stared out of the window. ''Looks like dusk is falling in... I should bring you home. You won't be able to find your way back alone in this limbo... no landmarks and shit, you know, at least none a non-heath dweller would recognize.''

''Alright,'' Hafez sighed as he stood up from the Ruffian's dingy doss, ''thanks for looking out for me, I guess...''

''You're very welcome,'' the Ruffian groaned, as he actually dreaded the prospect of having to walk 10 kilometers back and forth again just to be sure the youngster would return home safely. ''Very welcome.''

VPVPVPVPVPVPVPVPVP

''Hafez Abdul Qalzai! Where have you _been _all day?''

Hafez stared at his shoes. Even though most Islanders went through life barefeeted, he as a mainlander still couldn't imagine walking around without any footwear.

It was about eleven in the evening, the return to the Qalzai farm had consumed more time than the Ruffian and Hafez had foreseen. Unexpectedly, they'd come accross a few people from Molino along the way for whom they'd had to hide as good as they could in the open field. Hafez of course couldn't be seen with the hooligan unless he wanted his reputation as a good, responsible veterinary assistant to shatter in a thousand pieces.

No matter how good the other villagers thought of him, him being late caused his mother scream at him anyway. Hafez knew he couldn't expect any help from his father because he was reading his favorite newspaper - _The Islander's Daily -_ in the living room, and neither could he of his older sister; she always took their mother's side, no matter what.

''I-I've been... out,'' Hafez stuttered uneasily.

''I could tell!" his mother snorted. ''Did it even cross your mind that I would possibly need your help in _THE GARDEN, _Hafez? This morning, you promised me to harvest the apples and look after Mehran so that I could go to Molino to sell them, afterwards...''

''I'm sorry, mother...''

''I CAN'T BUY NO FOOD FOR YOUR PETTY APOLOGIES!'' missus Qalzai shouted as her anger made her cheeks turn red. ''That's not the worst part, though... Your sister went to the village for me... God bless my only daughter... I just thought that I could _trust _you, son... I thought you were finally ready to take your RESPONSIBILITIES, like the MAN I TOUGHT you had BECOME!''

Cold sweat started to drip down Hafez' forehead. He hadn't seen his mother so mad since their arrival on the Island...

''Fareiba, easy on the boy,'' a deep voice sounded from behind the closed kitchen door. ''It's not like, he's been hanging out with Tuffians or whatever those guys call themselves...''

Hafez grimaced. If his dad only knew...

''You don't know that for sure, Halim!'' his mother screamed back, her eyes narrowing. ''God knows what our son's been doing... This isn't the first time he's disappeared...''

''I know Fareiba, I know, but he's practically an adult...'' The kitchen door opened, mister Qalzai standing in the doorway with an exhausted, yet annoyed frown on his face.

Hafez realized how tired his father had been looking lately... Were it the wrinkles he seemed to have obtained over the past five months?

Something clearly was haunting him. He was either missing the mainland, or worrying about one of his four children...

''Dad... I'm sorry,'' Hafez mumbled, ashamed because his father apparently wasn't very fond of Ruffians and he'd considered becoming one...

''Son... You don't have to tell us, but if choose to, tell me sincerely... Where have you been today, where did you go last week? You thought we wouldn't hear you sneaking out of the house, didn't ya?''

Hafez opened his mouth, to slowly close it again. He couldn't, he just couldn't speak, the mad looks his mother gave him suffocated him.

''I know you're not too happy to live here, and neither am I, but please... Don't get involved with criminal organisations, no matter how attractive their offers might seem at first glance...'' The man rubbed his eyes, under which severe dark circles had appeared. ''I've been fearing you'd encounter a Tuffian at some point, Hafez... I hope you don't fall for their ingenious tricks, they're smarter than they look...'' Mister Qalzai let out the deepest yawn.

''Halim, go to bed.'' Hafez' mother rushed towards her husband as he almost passed out on the kitchen floor. Forgetting almost all of her anger towards her son, she whispered: ''Your dad's job's giving him more stress than ever, Hafez, it's not only you... You've been behaving very well the past few months... it's just...''

''You're scared to lose me like you lost all the people and things you loved back at home?'' Hafez asked as it had suddenly began to dawn on him.

Neither of them would admit it to any of the children, but both of his parents had been scarred by the whole 'fleeing to Piñata Island' thing.

His mother's apologetically facial expression made place for a look of utter surprise. ''How do you -''

''Shhh,'' Hafez grinned, ''I'm a grown man now and there's no way I'll ever stain either the family's name or your heart in any bad way... You carry dad to bed and ehm, you enjoy yourselves, aight?''

For a moment misus Qalzai considered scolding her oldest son for his impudent remark, but then she decided to wish him goodnight and follow his advice instead.

''You're a good son,'' she couldn't help but whisper before she walked out of the door. ''Maybe your dad and I - especially I - should trust you more... Keep doing what you do, but please, don't keep matters that are important to you secret from us...''

Hafez' heart skipped a beat. He'd been hiding something _extremely _important for _way _too long for the ones he loved most...

In spite of the fact that his relationship with Leafos probably wouldn't lead to anything good, his parents would by no doubt be fond of the girl that he yearned to call his someday... It was about time she came over to have dinner with his family.

_Tomorrow, _the young man thought as he watched his mother helping his father climbing the stairs. _Tomorrow I'll tell them about the wonderful miss Leafos Flores, the only girl on this ridiculous, paper Island that I will ever love._


End file.
